Poland wants NATO summit to okay more troops for eastern Europe

BRUSSELS, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Poland wants NATO to agree to
deploy 'substantial' numbers of forces and equipment in central
and eastern Europe to ensure the region's security in the face
of a more aggressive Russia, President Andrzej Duda said on
Monday.

A former Moscow satellite, Warsaw will host a NATO summit in
July when it is expected to press for an increased presence of
NATO forces on its soil and in former communist-ruled Europe.

Russia has threatened to retaliate against any such moves
and some NATO members, including Germany, are sceptical of the
idea for fear of antagonising Moscow.

But Russia's annexation of Crimea in March, 2014, support
for separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine and a Russian military
build-up have provided Poland and other eastern NATO members
with new arguments with which to press their case.

Duda, speaking at a news conference with NATO Secretary
General Jens Stoltenberg, said he wanted the July summit to take
practical decisions to boost security in the region.

"Today, everything points to the need to have substantial
presence of both infrastructure and military units on the ground
in central European countries, as well as a well worked-out
system for these units and defence should there be any act of
aggression," Duda said.

"That means increasing presence in central-eastern Europe,
both in terms of infrastructure and in terms of troops of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This is to be agreed ...
what shape this presence would take," Duda said.

"I would want it to be permanent to the greatest extent
possible," he said, adding that would require drafting precise
contingency plans in the event of attack and more joint military
drills.

Some governments have asked NATO to establish a permanent
troop presence in former Warsaw Pact countries, but the alliance
has instead offered to beef up exercises and rotate forces in
and out of the region.

NATO chief Stoltenberg appeared to express sympathy for
Poland's view. "NATO now has a persistent military presence in
the region, of which Poland is part. And I trust that after the
Warsaw summit we would see more NATO in Poland than ever
before," he said.

Russia in its military doctrine has named NATO as a key risk
to its security amid deteriorating ties with the West over the
conflict in Ukraine. But the West also needs Russia's help in
dealing with terrorism and fighting Islamic State in Syria and
Iraq.
(Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; Editing by Richard Balmforth)